SIMPLICITY: Amanda Paret

February 17, 2015

Hey there! I’m Amanda. I’m a proud Baylor alum, an interior designer, and owner of amanda k. jewelry, my own line of fine, handmade statement pieces. I’m based in Dallas, Texas, but can often be found in other cities or on an airplane en route somewhere. I love traveling, and am embracing this busy season of life as a chance to explore, learn, and be inspired. Each place I visit provides insight and inspiration that translates into my designs. I’m constantly gathering and storing information on the go, which requires lots of organization!

How do you take care of yourself so that you’re physically and mentally prepared to be your best self for others?

I am the classic introvert. I need quality time on my own to rest and reset. Even though I work from home and spend most of the day by myself, it is often behind a computer screen or on the phone interacting with vendors or clients. It is not truly restful alone time. I try to make it a priority to start the day reading God’s Word and praying over the day. I am absolutely not perfect, but I know that when this routine falls by the wayside, my day (and those around me!) will suffer. I also thrive on the moments where I have space to think and be creative. I usually carve out time each week to just create or design something. It refreshes me mentally, and helps fuel me for all of the social interactions throughout the week.

Physically, I make it a priority to dress well. While this sounds superficial, I believe the effects it has on ourselves and those around us is crucial. I’m not talking about always looking fancy, but simply taking pride in my appearance, and understanding the impact it has on my own attitude, and the ability to draw others in as a result. I have a passion for women’s hearts and inviting them into the deeply rooted belief that they are beautiful, created, worthy daughters of the King. Based on the women I have encountered through my business, both friends and strangers, and the conversations we have had, I believe God can use something as simple as jewelry to spark conversations and build confidence in women to be whom he created them to be, and live it out.

In your house, how do the mundane parts of life get done?

Truth be told, I’m not much of a housekeeper. I keep things neat and tidy, but I don’t clean. I realized that it would be a better use of my time (and skills!) to put in a little extra work each week to be able to afford a housekeeper once a month. She comes in and deep cleans everything, which makes me so happy, and it keeps things manageable until the next month.

What is one tradition or routine that’s really important to you? And why?

My family loves football. Baylor football, to be exact. (It’s the South, who doesn’t love football?) During the fall, my parents, sister, and I make our way to the stadium to cheer our Bears on for every home game. Even though my sister and I live in different cities from our parents now, this has become one of our favorite traditions as a family, a time to reunite, spend time together, and relax. We also have a lot of friends who do the same, so each week is like a mini reunion, where we can catch up on our lives, hug a neck, and share laughs. No matter where we have all been during the week, we can always look forward to our time together on the weekend. And of course after football season comes basketball season… :)

Your PICK SIX: What 6 products can you absolutely not live without?

Whether I am traveling or at home, each of these six things are not far from reach.

1.DevaCurl Hair products – hands down, the best hair products and philosophy out there on how to care for curls of any type. I went from using a cabinet full of products to just 2-3 total, and managed to cut my daily hair routine in half. Talk about simplicity!

2. iPhone – Let’s be honest, there aren’t many things you CAN’T do on your phone anymore. I tend to be very technology friendly, and love being able to manage emails, lists, recipes, and meeting notes, (Evernote, anyone?), my online shop, social media accounts, take photos, and map my latest coffee shop find all from the same device, while on the go.

3. One of my statement necklaces – Whether I am on an airplane, meeting with a client, or just headed to the grocery store, throwing one of these pieces on instantly brightens my mood and makes me feel like a million bucks. They have also become proven marketing pieces for my business… people always stop and ask where I got whatever I am wearing. (Read: Opportunity to hand out business cards!)

4. Good Coffee! I’m honestly no good until I’ve had my coffee in the morning, and I can usually be found with an iced latte in the afternoons.

5. Jackery portable extra battery – Being a designer, I am constantly pulling my phone out to take pictures or document something. Also, refer back to Must Have #2, above. Hence the need for battery back-up. This little thing charges my iPhone about 2-3 times before needing to re-juice. I don’t go anywhere without it.

6. Clickable Sharpie pens – I love these pens! I am pretty sure that one can be found in every bag I own, and as I type this right now, there is one sitting out on my desk by a pad of paper. They write so smoothly, come in several colors, and they’re permanent! Who needs boring old ball point pens, when you can have awesome Sharpie pens!

Anything else you think our readers would love to know? Any additional tips or systems that help you keep it all together?

Being on the go and traveling a lot requires that I have my stuff together at a moment’s notice. I have a couple little zipper pouches (colorful and cute ones, of course!) that are already packed with the essentials and ready to be tossed in. One is for makeup, one is for medicines/Tide To Go, band-aids, mints, tissues, and a few other essentials, and one of those is my “electronics” bag. Though tiny, (only about 3×5!) it contains all my necessary iPhone/iPad chargers and wall adapters, headphones, my Jackery battery, and an auxiliary cord (so I can play my own music in rental cars!) This life saver bag is almost always in my purse, so I am always charged up.

The Simplicity Series features busy gals, in different stages of life, making what matters happen and tips and tricks they’ve found to be helpful. Simplicity is about building margin into your life and spending time on and with that which fuels your heart. While we love to share products and services that help us day to day, but simplicity is about HEART and intentionally choosing the thing that matters most (your TREASURE) more than anything money can buy. We wear many hats and we know you do too, so we’d love to hear your thoughts as well! For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34